[SMCARA] G5RV antenna installation

Clarke, Tom AIR4.0P NATOPS frederic.clarke at navy.mil
Mon Sep 22 09:23:49 EDT 2014


Dave,

Since the G5RV was originally designed as a 20 meter antenna, results on other bands are pretty unpredictable.  As Bill stated in his email, there are a lot of factors going on here.  Having the whole antenna tilted will probably affect the pattern in the direction of the tilt, but not making it unusable.  The best thing is to put it up and see how it plays.  If it is a bust, try something else.  I have used an 80 m dipole fed with 450 ladder line for years.  The last hurricane sent that antenna to its happy hunting ground, so I now am going to try a Carolina Windom.

Just remember Clarke's First Law of Antennas: "If it sounds stupid, but works, it isn't stupid"!

73 Tom/W4OKW

-----Original Message-----
From: SMCARA [mailto:smcara-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Dave Q
Sent: Sunday, September 21, 2014 1:53 PM
To: SMCARA at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [SMCARA] G5RV antenna installation

All,

I plan to permanently hang my Optimized G5RV dipole tomorrow.

I have three large white oaks almost exactly inline but they are on a slope.  If I were to tie a string at ground level of the highest tree and run it level to the farthest tree there is an 11' drop crossing the center tree at 4 feet.  The center insulator will be at 45' where I already have a pulley installed.  I've made stand-offs from 4" PVC pipe by cutting 1"
rings.  These will be screwed to the tree and the ladder line attached to them.  The ends will be attached to the trees with pulleys and homemade "window weights" to allow for tree movement, falling branches, ice/snow etc.

I have a 30' extension ladder so should be able to get the ends at least/about 20 to 25' off the ground.  The trees lie in an East to West orientation.  Would rather it be more N to S but it is what it is.  I will be also installing one of the 31' S9s.

Questions:
Do the ends need to be the same distance from the ground in order to maintain the angle of each wire the same?  For instance, can one angle be
45 degrees and the other 60 degrees or other combinations?

The instructions say to maintain a an included angle of 160 -170 degrees for best performance but I'd like more of an omni directional pattern.
What angle would you shoot for?

What would you do considering both of the antennas?

Any thoughts and advice greatly appreciated.

73
Dave - W3DLQ
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